Combined bowling pin wiping mechanism, conveyor and pick-up mechanism

ABSTRACT

A pin wiping cloth is suspended above a pin conveyor immediately forward of a pin pick-up mechanism. The wiping cloth is provided with chemically treated tufts on opposite sides thereof with the tufts on one side being engaged with pins as they are carried toward the pick-up mechanism by the pin conveyor and the tufts on the opposite side being engaged with pins which have been carried to the opposite side of the wiping cloth by the pin conveyor and before they are picked up by the pick-up mechanism.

United States Patent [1 Goldstein et a1.

COMBINED BOWLING PIN WIPING MECHANISM, CONVEYOR AND PICK-UP MECHANISM Inventors: Lynn Goldstein; Joe W. Bounds,

both of Dallas, Tex.

Texel Industries, Inc., Cleburne, Tex.

Filed: Mar. 28, 1973 Appl. No.: 345,701

Assignee:

US. Cl. 273/54 R, 15/210 R, 139/399 Int. Cl A63d 5/10 Field of Search 273/54; 15/210 R; 139/396,

References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS Staley 273/54 R X 1 Feb.26, 1974 3,187,782 6/1965 Gattoni ..139/396 3,076,651 2/1963 Hicks ..273/54R Primary ExaminerAnton O. Oechsle Attorney, Agent, or FirmStoll and Stoll [57] ABSTRACT A pin wiping cloth is suspended above a pin conveyor immediately forward of a pin pick-up mechanism. The wiping cloth is provided with chemically treated tufts on opposite sides thereof with the tufts on one side being engaged with pins as they are carried toward the pick-up mechanism by the pin conveyor and the tufts on the opposite side being engaged with pins which have been carried to the opposite side of the wiping cloth by the pin conveyor and before they. are picked up by the pick-up mechanism.

4 Claims,'6 Drawing Figures COMBINED BOWLING'PIN WIPING MECHANISM, CONVEYOR AND PICK-UP MECHANISM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention Automatic bowling pin setting equipment installed in bowling alleys.

2. Description of the Prior Art The closest prior art known to applicant is represented by the following US. Pat. Nos:

3,05l,484 Shulevitz Aug. 28, I962 3,064,974 Staley Nov. 20, I962 3,076,651 Hicks Feb. 5, I963 3,148,880 Terry Sept. l5, I964 3,l63,4l6 Blacker I Dec. 29, 1964 Of these prior art patents, the most pertinent appears to beStaley, No. 3,064,974, which discloses automatic pin-cleaning and dust control apparatus to perform the same function which is performed-by the present inven tion. Staleys bowling pin wiping cloth is a tubular endless roll wiping cloth which is intended to rotate slowly about its. supporting rod in response to the contact with bowling pins passing thereunder. It has been found that bowling pins sometimes work their way into said tubular wiping cloth, and it then becomes necessary to manually dislodge themtherefrom.

Additionally, Staleys wiping cloth engages limited surface portions of the bowling pins, and inadequate wiping action results. Moreover, only one side surface of Staleys wiping cloth normally engages a given bowling pin, such side surface facing the oncoming bowling pin carried by the conveyor. Once a given bowling pin passes to the opposite side of the wiping cloth, it no longer engages or is engaged by the wiping cloth. The distance between Staleys wiping cloth and the bowling pin pick-up mechanism is substantially greater than the largest diameter of a bowling pin, and such distance precludes effective wiping action between the bowling pin and that side of the wiping cloth which faces-the pick-up mechanism.

SUMMARY OF'THE INVENTION The present invention provides a bowling pin wiper having pin-wiping tufts on opposite sides for dual wip- DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION The present invention is shown in the drawing as applied to representative bowling pin pick-up apparatus. There is no intention of limiting the invention to the pick-up apparatus of any particular manufacturer. On the contrary, the present invention is applicable to all known automatic bowling pin pick-up equipment currently in use.

With specific reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawing, it will be observed that bowling pin wiper 10, ex-

emplifying the present invention, is suspended from a support rod 12 in an installation which includes a bowling alley 14, a bowling pin conveyor 16, and a'rotary bowling pin pick-up mechanism 18. Representative bowling pins 20 are also shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, and it will'be observed that extending across conveyor 16 is a bowling pin cushion bar'22. Pin cushion bar 22 is supported by frame members 24, which are suspended from support rod 12. As will be seen in FIG. 5, pin wiper 10 is disposed on support rod 12 intermediate frame members 24.

It will also be noted in FIGS. 5 and '6 that the lower end of pin wiper 10 extends below pin cushion bar 22 and is long enough to reachthe upper run of conveyor 16. It will be understood and this' is conventional that the lower end of the pinwiper drags against the conveyor, while the conveyor is in operation, and

ing action with respect to. the bowling pins. Initial I contact between the bowling pin and applicants bowlthereby wipes and cleans same. By the same token, bowling pins 20 which are carried by the conveyor into engagement with the lower end of the pin wiper are themselves wiped and cleaned by reason of their wiping engagement with the pin wiper as they are carried from the bowling'alley to thepick-up mechanism,

ing pin wiper occurs on that side of the bowling pin wiper which faces the bowling alley. Additional wiping action occurs when the bowling pins pass to the other side of the wiper, that is, to the side facing the pick-up mechanism. Accordingly, the tufts on each side of the wiper engage the bowling pins in two separate, successive wiper actions. I

It has been found that applicants bowling pin wiper accumulates larger quantities of dirt and'dust than do conventional bowling pin wipers under comparable conditions and forcorresponding periods of time/This is indicative of more effective removal of dirt and dust from the bowling pins.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective face view of a bowling pin wiper made'in accordance with the present invention, showing it prior to mounting on a supporting rod.

FIG. 2 is a similar perspective view showing the same bowlingpin wiper suspended from. a support rod.

It is apparent that thejbowling pins initially engage one face or surface of the pin wiper, namely, that face or surface which is directed toward the bowling alley. After the bowling pins are carried to the opposite side of the pinwiper, that is, the side which faces the pickup mechanism, they are also caused to engage that side of the pinwiper in wiping engagement therewith. This occurs by reason of the rotary action of the pick-up mechanism, which causes the bowling pins to move transversely of the conveyor in a tossing, rotating, random motion, resulting from the interaction of the forwardly moving conveyor and the rotating pick-up mechanism. The distance between the pin wiper and the pick-up mechanism is relatively small, that is, preferably less than the lengthof a bowling pin, so that when the bowling pins are caused by the pick-up mechanism to engage in such random motion, they are brought into wiping engagement with that side of the pin wiper which faces the pick-up mechanism. It is apparent from the foregoing that the bowling pins are caused to wipe sequentially against both sides of the pin wiper.

The specific construction of bowling pin wiper will now be described, with particular reference to FIGS. 1-4 of the drawing. Pin wiper 10 consists, essentially, of the following elements: an upper sheet 30, a lower sheet 32 connected to said upper sheet, a second lower sheet 34 superimposed upon and attached to said aforementioned lower sheet 32, a plurality of wiping tufts 36 secured to lower sheet 32, a plurality of additional wiping tufts 36a secured to said additional lower sheet 34, a plurality of fastener elements 38 secured to the upper edge of upper sheet 30, and a plurality of fastener elements 38a which are secured to the lower edge of said upper sheet 30 for interlocking engagement with fastener elements 38 when said upper sheet 30 is folded over upon itself as shown in FIG. 2. Additional elements or features of the construction of the pin wiper may be mentioned, although they are obviously not critical in terms of the principles of the present invention. Thus, for reinforcing purposes the upper and lower marginal portions 30a and 30b, respectively, of upper sheet 30 are folded over upon the main body of said upper sheet and are secured thereto, as by sewing. Similarly, a reinforcing strip 40 is provided along the line of juncture between the lower end of upper sheet 30 and the upper end of lower sheet 32. Reinforcing strip 40 is sewn to both the upper and lower sheets to reinforce same in the area to which fastening elements 38a are secured. See FIG. 3. I

Wiping tufts 36 and 36a are secured to the lower sheet 32 and the additional lower sheet 34, respectively, by means of a plurality of spaced parallel lines of stitching 42. These tufts comprise a plurality of strands of wiping yarn sewn intermediate their ends to sheets 32 and 34. The unattached ends of these strands of yarn form the tufts which wipe and clean the bowling pin and the bowling pin conveyor. As FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawing clearly show, these wiping tufts reach around and conform to the contours of the bowling pins in a manner which is beyond the capacity of a wiping cloth alone.

In the mounting of pin wiper 10 on support rod 12, i

all that need be done is to loop'the upper sheet 30 around said support rod and interlock fastener elements 38 and 38a. This is shown in FIGS. 2, 5 and 6.1 It will be understood that pin wiper 10 is reversible on support rod 12 and that either side of said pin wiper may constitute the leadside, and each side may also constitute the trailing side. In terms of function the two tufted sides of the pin wiper are interchangeable.

It will be understood that the foregoing is a descrip tion of a preferred embodiment of the invention and that said embodiment may be modified in accordance with individual designer preferences or requirements within the broad scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In combination with a generally horizontal bowling pin conveyor and a rotary bowling pin pick-up mechanism located at the discharge end of the conveyor, said pick-up mechanism rotating on a generally horizontal axis coinciding with the path of movement of the conveyor: 1

a. a bowling pin wiping mechanism mounted adjacent the pick-up mechanism,

b. bowling pins adapted to be carried by said conveyor, wiped by said wiping mechanism, and picked up by said pick-up mechanism,

c. the largest diameter of said bowling pins corre sponding, substantially, to the spacing between the wiping mechanism and the pick-up mechanism,

(1. said wiping mechanism comprising an elevated support rod situated above the conveyor adjacent the pick-up mechanism; and

e. a bowling pin wiper suspended from said support rod in wiping engagement with the conveyor;

f. said bowling pin wiper comprising a wiping cloth having a plurality of pin-wiping tufts on opposite sides thereof;

g. the pin-wiping tufts on one side ofthe wiping cloth being engageable with said bowling pins when they are carried to the wiping cloth by the conveyor;

h. the wiping tufts on the opposite side of the wiping cloth being engageable with said bowling pins when they are carried to said opposite side of the wiping cloth by the conveyor and before they are picked up by said pick-up mechanism.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein:

the spacing between the bowling pin wiper and the bowling pin pick-up mechanism is such that bowling pins which are tossed about by said pick-up mechanism prior to being picked up thereby engage the wiping tufts on the said opposite side of the wiping cloth for wiping contact therewith.

3. The combination of claim 1, wherein:

the pin-wiping tufts comprise a plurality of strands of wiping material sewn on both sides of the wiping cloth. 7

4. The combination of claim 1, wherein:

the pin-wiping tufts are chemically treated to clean the bowling pins which they engage in wiping relationship. 

1. In combination with a generally horizontal bowling pin conveyor and a rotary bowling pin pick-up mechanism located at the discharge end of the conveyor, said pick-up mechanism rotating on a generally horizontal axis coinciding with the path of movement of the conveyor: a. a bowling pin wiping mechanism mounted adjacent the pick-up mechanism, b. bowling pins adapted to be carried by said conveyor, wiped by said wiping mechanism, and picked up by said pick-up mechanism, c. the largest diameter of said bowling pins corresponding, substantially, to the spacing between the wiping mechanism and the pick-up mechanism, d. said wiping mechanism comprising an elevated support rod situated above the conveyor adjacent the pick-up mechanism; and e. a bowling pin wiper suspended from said support rod in wiping engagement with the conveyor; f. said bowling pin wiper comprising a wiping cloth having a plurality of pin-wiping tufts on opposite sides thereof; g. the pin-wiping tufts on one side of the wiping cloth being engageable with said bowling pins when they are carried to the wiping cloth by the conveyor; h. the wiping tufts on the opposite side of the wiping cloth being engageable with said bowling pins when they are carried to said opposite side of the wiping cloth by the conveyor and before they are picked up by said pick-up mechanism.
 2. The combination of claim 1, wherein: the spacing between the bowling pin wiper and the bowling pin pick-up mechanism is such that bowling pins which aRe tossed about by said pick-up mechanism prior to being picked up thereby engage the wiping tufts on the said opposite side of the wiping cloth for wiping contact therewith.
 3. The combination of claim 1, wherein: the pin-wiping tufts comprise a plurality of strands of wiping material sewn on both sides of the wiping cloth.
 4. The combination of claim 1, wherein: the pin-wiping tufts are chemically treated to clean the bowling pins which they engage in wiping relationship. 